Jacqueline Carey is all kinds of awesome. She’s funny. Let’s get that out of the way right up front. A dry wit, to be sure. She’s also decent. Much as I’d like to do it, this can not be said of all writers. But even among the good ones, she’s got an extra measure of goodness. And most obviously, she can write her ass off. Let me tell you a story.

I’ve been friends with Claire Eddy  Tor editor extraordinaire  for ages. Once upon a time, as a timid, hopeful writer, I approached her in the Orycon dealers room, asking if I could send her my novel. Over the years, we’ve eaten meals, stayed up late laughing, and had some serious chats that left me feeling that much better for the time spent. Claire is also awesome. And somewhere in those early years she told me about a writer by the name of Jacqueline Carey.

Turns out, Mr. Tom Doherty had asked Claire to look at a manuscript of something that was a bit dangerous. To put a fine point on it: The protagonist was a submissive. As in sexually. To hear Claire tell it, she took the manuscript home over the Thanksgiving weekend, and found herself compulsively reading, even as she prepared a turkey with all the trimmings. By the end of the holiday weekend she’d decided: We must publish this! That book was Kushiel’s Dart.

Well, some books later, Jacqueline Carey is something of a fantasy institution. She writes historical, epic fantasy. And it’s still sexy  like the woman, herself. I was lucky enough to sit down with Jacqueline as she was touring on her most recent book: Naamah’s Blessing. Here’s the first part of how that went: